


Big, Bad, Handsome Wolf on Skates

by Zainat_Al_Banat



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, Rated T for language, basically entirely fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 16:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7275124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zainat_Al_Banat/pseuds/Zainat_Al_Banat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack returns from the dead, effectively putting everyone on Helios into a state of fear-induced incompetence.</p><p>Rhys suggests they go ice-skating to improve his image.</p><p>Too bad Jack is god awful at ice-skating, and Rhys has to help him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big, Bad, Handsome Wolf on Skates

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! So this is my first real (not shit post) contribution to the Borderlands fandom. The prompt came from an RP generator. Let me know what you guys think! I haven't written anything in a long time, so I'm 100% open to suggestions for the future! This is kind of a tester fic for me. I have a bunch of ideas on the back burner, but I was hoping to get some feedback on my writing before starting a serious fanfic. Of course, it ended up being really cute soooo? I was thinking of maybe adding an extra smut chapter, but otherwise this is a done deal.
> 
> Enjoy <3 <3 <3

For the past month, the CEO of Hyperion, Handsome Jack, had been in a funk, meaning a quarter of the marketing department and a good half of the accountants were currently hunks of ice floating in space. Two years ago this behavior would have been seen as unfortunate but nothing new, but after the janitors had finally gotten the blood stains off the floor of Jack’s office, something changed. For one thing many of the higher ups at Hyperion never expected the temperamental, mask wearing CEO to actually come back from the dead with the help of some guy with nice legs from middle management. This naturally scared the living shit out of people. After his AI was jammed into a new body, every move Jack made no matter how innocuous was enough to make even the most defiant board member melt into a puddle. No one wanted to mess with the guy who couldn’t die. Or the young, handsome assistant who was now always by his side for that matter. Reveling in his rekindled power, Jack enjoyed himself for about few weeks. The fear factor on Helios had gotten so high that productivity plummeted, leaving Jack with a huge problem since his only solution involved fixing fear-induced incompetence with more fear. Until Rhys proposed that the big, bad Handsome Jack should be seen doing more laid back activities outside of work. After Jack had finished laughing, Rhys explained that it might make him seem more relatable and that he was capable of being pleased. His assistant suggested going to the beach, watching a movie in a public theater, or… Ice-skating.

The older man pushed the idea of him trying to stand on those tiny blades with a laugh.

“I don’t know what piss-for-brain thought it was a good idea to strap knives to their feet and walk on something human beings were clearly not meant to walk on,” Jack said.

“Well, have you ever done it?” Rhys pushed.

“No way. It’s a thing stupid people do in bad movies,” Jack pouted. Rhys chuckled at his boss’s bratty attitude. He asked his assistant if he ever went ice-skating. To which Rhys replied:

“Yeah, actually. It’s a fun date idea.” Rhys tried to make that sound as not sappy as possible, but he actually loved the idea of going skating. It was something he did with friends every year around New Year’s Eve. While Vaughn was easily considered the pro among his friends, Rhys had picked up the sport pretty well.

“Since when do you score any dates, Rhysie?” Jack teased. The younger man replied with a curt, _shut up._ He felt his face heat up and hoped it didn’t look noticeably red. Rhys knew that trying to convince Jack was like talking to a brick wall, but he still had one trick up his sleeve.

“ _Oh well if you’re not good at it. We’ll pick something else,”_ Rhys said with a smirk, and Jack snapped. Rhys turned away from his boss to hide his smile of victory. There’s no way Jack would refuse the bait not after Rhys just said that _the_ Handsome Jack was bad at something even something as trivial as recreational ice-skating. And so they went to the ice rink the next night.

However, Rhys didn’t mention the fact that one of the reasons he suggested this whole thing was to get closer to his boss which he knew was completely inappropriate and incredibly risky. Despite all the talk that Rhys only got his position by getting into Jack’s pants, somewhat unfortunately for Rhys, the rumors had no truth to them. For as long as they had known each other, the duo had kept their relationship strictly professional by Jack’s standards. However, ‘Jack’s standards’ of professionalism consisted of way too much touching for Rhys to handle. Almost all of it had been from Jack, considering how it took Rhys weeks to even muster the courage to say full sentences to Jack. Jack’s hands found their way into back pockets or his arms around the shoulder or waist. Sometimes when Jack was feeling especially torturous the across-the-boardroom-eye-fucking turned Rhys into a puddle every time. All of these behaviors would be borderline sexual misconduct if your boss wasn’t Handsome Jack whose jawline could cut the ice of the rink they just walked into.

Rhys reminded Jack that he didn’t have to go and that they could always find something else to do up. Jack told Rhys to stuff it because they were definitely doing this. Ice skates in hand, the two sat down on a bench in front of the rink. The ice rink had no ceiling, letting the black night sky contrast with the bright ice. Thankfully, it was a clear night, so the stars flickered above them. Their breaths escaped in visible puffs as Rhys felt his nose go pink from the crisp cold. Despite the freezing weather, Jack rolled his yellow, Hyperion sweater up to his elbows, leaving his lean but muscular arms exposed whereas his shivering assistant was bundled in a winter coat, scarf, and gloves. While they had gotten their skates strapped in, Rhys found himself people watching. The rink was pretty crowded. He felt at ease with all the cheerful groups of people skating around each other.

“Let’s get going, cupcake,” said Jack, snapping Rhys back into reality. Rhys stood up, ready to head onto the ice, but he knew it was going to be a long night when Jack attempted to stand up on his skates and immediately fell back down. Biting back a laugh, he grabbed the older man’s hand and helped him back onto his feet. Jack growled a few foul words as he fixed his attire and slowly (very slowly) made his way to the ice.

About half way down the stairs Rhys felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he saw a small amount of red peeking behind Jack’s mask, and the grip he had on his shoulder tightened as he took another step. To anyone else, it would seem like a sign of affection, but Rhys was worried he was going to fall on his face from the sheer force Jack exerted as he used Rhys’s entire body weight to stay upright. The warmth that Jack’s skin transferred to Rhys disappeared much to his disappointment as they (finally) made it to the small entrance gate.

Rhys decided it would be best to let the couple waiting at the gate go in front of them, knowing that this was going to be a struggle. The two immediately recognized Jack, put their heads down, and stepped onto the ice as fast as possible. Jack and Rhys watched for a moment as the two joined hands and sped across the ice with ease.

“Jack, we can always go back. It isn’t a big deal,” Rhys retorted.

“Shut up, Rhysie. This is child’s play,” Jack responded unconvincingly.

“Okay then go onto the ice, and I’ll get us some food or something,” Rhys replied.

“Oh nonono, pumpkin. I’m here because of you, so you are staying right here,” Jack said. Rhys sighed and stepped past Jack and onto the ice. The smooth ice must’ve had a Zamboni over it recently, meaning they had a while before the crowd would have to clear the ice. Festive music played, and the rink felt like a get together that everyone was invited to. Rhys took the time to complete a lap, assuming that Jack was behind him. It seemed like everyone was in a good mood. Well, almost everyone. Jack had managed to step onto the ice but was still stationed next to the railing.

“Why is this so hard?” huffed Jack as he clung onto the railing for dear life.

“I don’t know what your problem is,” said Rhys as he glided right next to him. Keeping his feet from giving out, Jack gave his assistant one of his infamous _don’t try me_ looks. Rhys swallowed his desire to tease Jack for being so awful. He knew that it would do nothing but turn the man’s rage onto him.

“If you want to get better you have to actually try,” Rhys said, hoping he didn’t sound too preachy. Jack huffed and let go of the railing. Putting one foot in front of the other, he managed to travel about ten feet before falling right on his ass. Rhys winced and went to his side, holding out his hand.

“God dammit!” Jack growled, ignoring Rhys’s outstretched hand and pulling himself back up. With a sigh the PA decided it would be better to just stick by Jack and hope he didn’t explode from frustration.

Rhys glided slowly across the ice, making sure that he didn’t get too far ahead of the older man. The two managed to travel another thirty feet before the front of Jack’s skate caught on the ice. Jack fell forward as he involuntarily reached out and grabbed his assistant, causing Rhys to lose his carefully maintained balance. Jack would have fallen on his face if he hadn’t taken his poor assistant down with him. Rhys slammed onto the ice only for Jack to immediately follow. Jack would’ve said something, deflected the blame onto Rhys for not paying attention or some other BS until he noticed that Rhys was _laughing_. Despite the fact that he had only gone around the rink one and half times, he somehow found the entire situation ridiculous but strangely relaxing. He hoped that Jack didn’t think that he was laughing at him.

“My ass is so sore and not in the way I want it to be,” growled Jack, turning to Rhys who was just getting up off the ice.

“Just leave me alone I can figure this out,” Jack spat out before Rhys had a chance to say anything. The young man shrugged and nodded, letting Jack take off on his own. Deciding to take a breather on the railing, Rhys turned his attention to the benches where he and Jack sat initially only to hear a loud “SHIT” followed by a thud come from a few meters away. Rhys skated to where Jack sat on the edge of the ice. His head rested against the wall behind him.

Rhys looked at the other groups of people skating. Almost all of them were holding hands. He felt his face grow red as he looked at Jack who was trying to look as nonchalant as one could while pouting on the floor of an ice rink. He smoothed his hair with one hand and gripped the railing above him with the other. The man had clearly given up. Seeing the people who had stopped skating and stared at him and Jack, Rhys knew it would be a risky move that could easily be met with disgust, but he prayed that just maybe it would work.

“Here. I’ll help you the way Vaughn helped me. Just until you get the hang of it. Is that okay?” Rhys asked, holding out his hand. To Rhys’s delight, Jack nodded and took Rhys’s hand in his. The two pushed off again and slowly began to skate. Rhys explained that you had to think about skating as gliding instead of walking. At first, Rhys led his boss, making sure to slow down when he felt Jack’s balance falter and his grip tighten. Surprisingly, Jack kept his mouth shut, listening to Rhys’s advice or looking out into the crowd. He missed being in a body. He missed the way the cold air bit his skin. He missed just _feeling_. It had been years since he had been in a body and actually be able to touch someone. He looked down at Rhys’s gloved hand, thankful that someone risked life and limb to bring him back, not that he would ever say that though.

Eventually, as Jack’s skating ability grew, Rhys and Jack transitioned to skating side by side, their weight distributed equally between each other. Rhys’s muscles relaxed, since he wouldn’t have to basically pull Jack along the ice. The two hardly said a word to each other throughout the entire night.

Rhys spent the majority of the time daydreaming, knowing that he would turn into a complete mess if he looked at Jack who was still holding his hand. They had been skating for about an hour side by side. The bright lights made the blue in Rhys’s Echo eye even more vibrant, and, feeling his face grow warm, Jack found himself staring at his assistant for far too long. Pushing aside a strand of his auburn hair with his free hand, Rhys almost ran into a small child until Jack pulled him away.

“Sorry!” Rhys called out to the little girl who giggled. Rhys giggled with her as they sped past her. His laugh blended with the sounds of the crowd swimming through Jack’s head. The older man had known Rhys for almost a year and a half, but Rhys’s laugh was still foreign to him, in a good way, in a great way. A strange tingling feeling upset his stomach. Without saying anything he pulled Rhys back to the edge of the rink.

“What’s up? We can go if you’re done,” Rhys said, looking up at Jack for the first time since they had started skating. Jack opened his mouth to say something but was incapable of finding the words. Rhys’s nose had turned bright pink, and Jack couldn’t help but stare. Not knowing what was else to do, Jack leaned forward and pressed his lips onto Rhys’s. He closed his eyes, wondering, _hoping_ , the younger man would reciprocate, but Rhys was static. Jack pulled away abruptly. Rhys’s eyes -beautiful blue and brown eyes- were as wide and unblinking as an owl’s. His face was as red as a cherry, but his body was petrified. Kissing seemed like something too intimate to be associated with Handsome Jack, but here they were. For better or worse, his image had definitely changed. Jack stood there unable to think of anything to do or say that would make this awful situation better. Several groups of people had passed by them, and the music was still playing, but it felt like time had stopped.

“Do that again,” Rhys whispered so quietly Jack had to strain to hear him. Obliging, Jack cupped his face and pulled him in for another kiss. Jack felt so good. Despite wearing only one layer, the man radiated so much warmth that Rhys felt like passing out. The assistant wrapped his arms around Jack, deepening the kiss. Reveling in the sensation, Rhys thought that he was going to melt into Jack’s arms. Jack broke away to steal a few breathes and rested his head right between the younger man's neck and jawline.

“You know. I’m starting to get the appeal of this,” Jack said against Rhys’s jaw. As he felt the redness in his face dying down, Rhys swallowed and finally said the three words he was dying to say.

“Told you so”

**Author's Note:**

> Write a comment or message me @ http://okayyouhappynow.tumblr.com if you want to let me know what you think!


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